Speedometer.



W. R. DUDLEY & L. A. GREENLEAF.

SPEEDOMETER.

APPLICATION F-ILBD my 1, 1909. RENEWED JULY 2, 191a.

. 1,072,587, Patented Sept. 9, 1918.

. I I 7%.md aw COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 410.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNI STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE ll. DUDIOEY AND LOUIS A. GREENLEAF, OF DANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO STAR- SPEEDOMETER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SPEEDOMETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

Application filed May 1, 1909, Serial No. 493,390. Renewed July 2, 1913.Serial No. 777,098.

lowing is full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of our invention is to improve the construction ofspeedometers adapted. more especially for use on automobiles, but ofcourse not limited to such use, in respect to the matter of attaching ormounting the instrument in position; a maximum speed mechanism orindicator; and a zero setting device for the trip register; and to thisend our invention consists in the mechanism having the features ofconstruction substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa speedometer embodying our invention, a portion of the dial beingbroken away; Fig. 2 a section from front to rear; Fig. 8 a section indetail through the zero setting mechanism; Fig. 4 a detail view inperspective of the parts of the maximum speed mechanism. Fig. 5 a detailview of the clutch device of the Zero setting mechanism.

In its general construction, our speedometer is similar to that whichforms the subject of United States Patent No. 880,781, March 3, 1908, tothe Star Speedometer (10., it having a cylindrical casing 10 closed atthe rear by a plate 11 that is screwed into the casing and closed at thefront by a glass or bezel 12, the bezel ring being screwed upon the endof the casing. To the top of the casing on the outside is secured'aball- 13 that forms one member of a universal or ball and socket joint,the socket being composed of two members or parts 14 and 15,respectively, the member 14 being internally threaded and the member 15externally threaded, so that the two may screw together to cause theirrespective spherically concave surfaces to bind or press tight againstthe circumference of the ball, to maintain the instrument at the desiredangle within the limits of movement possible from the joint withreference to the dashboard 0r hood of the automobile. The socket member15 has a flange 16 at one end, provided with screw holes for theattachment of said member to the desired part of the machine or vehicle,and in some-cases said flange will extend at right angles to the member,or parallel therewith, to suit the position of the surface to which thespeedometer is to be attached. The attaching means or bracket which weemploy, not only possesses all. the flexibility or adaptability ofadjustment that is required in practice, but it is very simple inconstruction and holds the instrument with all required firmness orrigidity.

Inasmuch as the means for moving the speed indicator hand 17 forms nopart of our invention, it will not be necessary to describe the samebeyond pointing out that the shaft or arbor 18 on whose'outer end thehand or index 17 is fastened is suitably pivoted or j ournaled in thesupporting plate 19, and projects to the rear of the latter where, byappropriate gearing, it is rocked or oscillated to cause the hand totravel over the speed indicating dial 20. J ournaled on the shaft orarbor 18, so as to move independently of the latter, is a sleeve or hollow arbor 21 that at its outer end, just back of the speedhand 17,carries a pointer or hand 22, whose free extremity is contiguous to thespeed dial 20, and said hand 22 is colored differently from the speedhand 17, being, for example, red, and it moves along with the speed handwhen the latter moves from the starting point or zero, and remains atthe point of highest speed to which the speed hand may be moved, andthus constitutes a maximum speed indicator. Because of such movement ofthe maximum speed hand, the speed hand 17 has a pin or projection 23that extends alongside the maximum speed hand 22 on the side .of themaximum speed hand required to cause its movement from Zero or thestarting point. On its rear or inner end, the maximum speed handcarrying sleeve or arbor has a flange that has fine teeth 24 cut in itsperiphery so that it forms a ratchet wheel, which is engaged by a springpawl 25 to hold the maximum speed hand at the point to which it may bemoved by the speed hand 17.

A spring 26 attached at one end to the ratchet wheel 24 of the maximumspeed hand arboracts to move the maximum speed hand to zero when thepawl is disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and to enablethis disengagement of the pawl at will when it is desired to restore themaximum speed hand to zero, a pawl-releasing device is provided thatcomprises a slidable rod 28 supported at the rear of the plate 19, andhaving one end extended through a slot in said plate, so that itconstitutes a finger 29 projecting beneath the pawl and adapted by thelongitudinal movement of the rod to engage the pawl and lift it out ofengagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. At its other end, saidrod is contiguous to the end of a push button 30, that extends throu hthe casin 10 so as to lie within and outside the same, and said rod ismoved to and yieldingly held inthe position from which it is moved bysaid push button by a coil spring 31.'

The trip register comprises a units wheel or dial 32, and a tens wheelor dial 33. The units dial is fixed on the outer end of a hollow arbor34 journaled on a stud or post 35, projecting from the supporting plate19. Loose on the hollow arbor 34 is a gear wheel 36 of the Geneva stoptype, which is revolved through only one-tenth of a revolu tionby theone tooth wheel 37 forming a part of the driving mechanism, and on itsinner or under side said gear 36 has a pawl 38 which coacts with aratchet wheel 39 fixed to the arbor so that when the gear 36 is turnedin a forward direction, the arbor 34, through the pawl and ratchet, willbe clutched to it and the two will rotate together, said clutchconnection permitting the independent revolution of the hollow arbor, aswhen it is desired to turn the trip register back to zero. Contiguous tothe ratchet wheel, and also fixed upon the arbor, is a one tooth wheelor disk 39', which meshes with a gear wheel 40 fixed to the arbor of thetens wheel of the trip register, to transmit movement to the latter,either a'forward movement in registering, or a backward movement insetting to zero. On the units wheel arbor 34, on the end contiguous tothe supporting plate 19, is a pinion 41 into and out of engagement withwhich a gear wheel 42 by an endwise or longitudinal movement of itsarbor 43 may be moved, and. said arbor has'attached to it a turning knobor head 44 on the outside of the back plate 11, of the casing, so thatwhen by'the endwise movement of the arbor,

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produced by pressure applied to said tiirning knob or head, the gearwheel 42 is moved into mesh with the pinion 41, the dials of the tripregister may be turned back to zero. Normally, said gear wheel isyieldingly held in a position out of mesh with said pinion, by means ofa coil spring 45 interposed between a collar 46 on the arbor and thesupporting plate 19. turning head or knob 44 is detachably connectedwith the arbor to enable the application and removal of the back plate11 of the casing.

Having thus described our what we claim is 1. The combination of acasing, registering mechanism comprising a rotatable indicator, an arborto which said indicator is fixed, a driving wheel loose on the arbor,means for rotating the driving wheel in a forward direction, means forclutching the driving wheel and the arbor to cause them to rotatetogether in a forward direction while permitting independent movement ofthe rotatable indicator for zero setting, and normally inactive meansindependent of the driving wheel moving means for moving the indicatorin the direction to set the sameto zero, including an operating knobaccessible on the exterior of the casing.

2. The combination of a casing, a dial wheel, an arbor to which the sameisfixed, said arbor being hollow, a stud in the arbor, a driving wheelloose on the arbor, means consisting of a pawl on the wheel and aratchet wheel fixed to the arbor for clutching the driving wheel and thearbor to cause them to rotate together in one direction, whilepermitting independent movement of the dial wheel, a pinion on saidarbor, a gear wheel, and means for moving said gear wheel into and outof mesh invention,

with the pinion, consisting of a longitudinally movable, shaft having aknob on the outside of the casing.

In testimony that we claim the foregomg we have hereunto set our hands.

VVALLAOE R. DUDLEY. LOUIS A. GREENLEAF. Vitnesses "WILLIAM V. OGLESBY,Trios. Ur. VINCENT.

The

